The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Councils call for Frank’s Law to be delayed.
Campaigners fear setback as councils favour pushing back changes until 2021
Councils want Frank’s Law to be delayed for another two years to help them cope with an expected surge in demand for personal care.
The umbrella group for local authorities, Cosla, has called for the rollout to be staggered, with full implementation in 2021.
The proposal has prompted a furious response from campaigner Amanda Kopel, who led the victorious Frank’s Law campaign, backed by The Courier, to abolish care charges for under-65s with debilitating conditions.
In a written submission to a Holyrood committee, Cosla said a “staged approach to implementation might have provided a degree of risk management and the ability to monitor and respond to the inevitable increase in demand”.
It said: “Acknowledging that the Scottish Government do not favour staging implementation, Cosla would suggest aligning the timescales for full implementation with the devolution of social security benefits in 2021.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said it was working closely with COSLA, adding: “We have been clear that this extension of free personal care is to be fully implemented on April 1 2019, and we have brought the necessary legislative steps before the Scottish Parliament for this to happen.” But Ms Kopel fears Cosla’s stance gives ministers an opportunity to backtrack. “People are going have their hands up in horror if there is this delay,” the widow of Dundee United legend Frank Kopel said.
“That was my fear from the beginning that (the government) would say they want to roll it out next year, but their hands are tied because of the councils.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said in September that the government would bring in Frank’s Law. Officials later explained it would not be up and running until the start of 2019/20.
MSPS on the health and sport committee will hear from Health Secretary Shona Robison on Tuesday on the proposed legislation to enact the law.
Miles Briggs, the Scottish Conservative MSP who has been campaigning for Frank’s Law, said under-65s had already waited too long.
“Delaying the implementation of Frank’s Law another two years would be totally unacceptable,” he added.
A Dundee City Council spokesman said it was “awaiting further guidance from the Scottish Government over the implementation of this service extension”.
An Angus Health and Social Care Partnership spokesman said it was “currently working towards free personal care for people under 65 to be implemented for April 2019”.
People are going have their hands up in horror if there is this delay.